Automobile-signal.



S. COHN.

' AUTOMOBIL'E SIGNAL.

'AVPPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. I917.

Patenteddan. 28, 1919.

,lllllnllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 8. come, AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL'APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25' 1917-,

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ran

seminar. GOHN, 0! NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMOBILE-SIGNAL.

Application filed June 25, 1917. Serial No. 178,700.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Conn, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the borough of the Bronx, city and State of New York; haveinvented certain new anduseful 1m rovements in Automobile-Signals, of woh the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signals of the sema hore type by which a driverof an automobi e may signal to drives of cars behind or to a traflicoflicer ahead, or to both, so

that such persons will be advised as to the intention of the driver ofthe automobile having the signal device.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a very simpleand-inexpensive device of this kind, one which can be sold almost ascheaply. as the ordinary mirror attachment used on the front ofautomobiles. Another object of my invention is to simplify theconstruction of signal devices of this kind and to reduce the number ofparts to a minimum, so that the device will not easily get out of orderno matter how carelessly it is used and even when it is exposed to theweather.

In the drawing forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention as applied to thewindshield frame of an automo ile, 1

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device on a larger scale,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the device with one side of the casing removedto show the interior parts,

Fi 4 is a rear elevation of the device, showing one of the signal platesraised.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 8,

Fi 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7 of Fig. 8,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one corner of the casing showing themeans for de-.

tachably securing-the mirror after it has been inserted in place,

Fig. 10 is an elevation of one of the mirror retaining members.

The device comprises a casing, semaphores or signals within the casingand adaptedto be projected beyond the same, and of means for'operatingthe signals.

The casing 1 shown herein'comprises fiat front and rear walls 2, 3, atop 4, a bottom 5 and. one end wall 6, the opposite end 7 being open toallow the signals to move into and out of the casing. The casing ispreferably attached to the windshield frame 8 by means of a bracket 9which latter may be cast integral with the casing or it may be formedseparately of the casing.

At the upper portion of the casing 1, there is a transverse arbor 10forming a support on which the several signal plates 11, 12, 18 mayswing and in the drawings 1 have shown three signal plates arranged sideby side on this arbor 10. There may be a lesser or greater number ofsuch signals, but with three marked, respectively. Stop, Right and Leftall the desired signals may be given to the drivers of other automobilesand to traffic oificers.

When in the retracted position the sev-.

eral signal plates 11, 12, 13 hang down in parallel relation from theirsupporting arbor 10 and just within the open end of the casing, as isshown in full lines in Fig. 3. To the signal plate 11 there is fulcrumedat 14 a curved rod 15 which bends at 16 and' with the plate 11 and therod 19 bends outwardly at 20 far enough so that the verti- Speciflcationof Letters Patent. Patented Jan, 28, 1919. I

cal portion, which projects through a slot in the bottom wall 5, lies toone side of the vertical portion of the rod 15. The rod 19 has a knob 21on its lower end. There is a rod 22 fulcrumed to the signal plate 13 andit bends outwardly at 23 so that its vertical portion lies beyond boththe rods 15 and 19. Otherwise the rod 22 is the same as the rods15, 19and it passes throu h a slot in the bottom wall and is provi ed with aknob 24. I

The above arrangement is very compact and it permits of the casing beingmade very fiat and comparatively light in weight. It also allows theknobs to be arrange in a row conveniently near each other. It is thenvery easy to ull down on any one or on several of the obs for thepurpose of elevating one or more of the signal plates and it is alsoconvenient to press upwardly simultaneously on one or all of the knobsto return the signals within the casing. It will be understood that therods are stiff or non-flexible so that the several signai plates may beoperated in one d rection by a pulling action on a rod and 1n theopposite direction by a pushing action thereona I have provided simplemeans for holding the signal plates in either position. The arbor 10 ishere shown as square in cross section and for each of the signal plates11, 12, 13, there is a bearing sleeve 25 havln a square central aperture26 to fit the ar or 10 and be held from rotation on the latter. Thesignal plates turn in circular races 27 in the respective sleeves 25 sothat the sleeves form bearings on the arbor for the signal plates.Against the face of each signal plate there is arranged a spring disk28, and one of the end plates may have a disk on both faces, as shown,though in one of these latter the sna device referred to hereinafter isprefera ly omitted. When the signal plates and their spring disks areall assembled upon the arbor 10 ready for use the several disks areunder compression and forthis purpose I prefer to provide cotter pins 29in the arbor 10 for holding the parts together with the disks undercompression. The disks have square openings 30 corresponding with theshape of the arbor and therefore the disks do not turn on the arbor butremain stationary relatively to the swinging motion of the signalplates. Each spring disk is provided with one or more projections, hereshown, as stamped projecting studs 31. I have shown two such studs atopposite sides of the disks and in the flattened rim portions 32thereof. In the face of each signal plate there are provided depressions33 into which the studs 31 snap when the signal lates are in eithertheir raised or lowered position. There will be two sets of depressionsfor the studs on an adjacent friction disk. One set is so arranged thatthe studs on an adjacent disk will enter therein when the signal isdown, or inclosed in the casing and the other set is so arranged thatthe same studs will enter therein when the signal plate is in the raisedor signaling position. In addition to serving as resistance or frictionmembers, the disks'also serve to keep the signal plates spaced apart onthe arbor and they prevent side play of these plates on the arbor andthus prevent rattling.

The back of the casing has a flange 29 around three sides 'and throughthe open weaves end 7 there is inserted a mirror 31. When the signaldevice is attached to the forward art and to one side of the automobile,as for instance to the windshield frame 8, the driver may observevehicles approaching from the rear by looking into the mirror.

After the mirror has been inserted into place through the open end thedetachable corner plates 34 are attached by screws 35 and these platesengage two of the corners of the mirror at the open end of the casingand they hold it in place within its retaining flange.

I have shown a sim 1e arrangement at the bottom to revent t e signalplates from shifting si ewise and rattling. Near the bottom of thecasing there is a cross pin 32 around which there is arranged a coiledspring 33 extending between the front and back walls. The position ofthe spring 33 is such that when the signal plates move down to retractedposition the edge of each one will enter between different coils of thes ring. The lower ends of the signal plates can not then move laterallyagainst each other as their lateral play is resisted by the coils of thespring 33. This forms a most effective means for preventing rattling andone which is not likely to get out of order.

To operate the device one of the knobs 18, 21, or 24 is pulleddownwardly and this will raise one of the signal plates to a position atright angle to the casing as shown in Fi 1 and 2. When the knob is firstmoved 51 6 recesses 33 on the signal plate adjacent the particularfriction disk move-away from the studs 31 on this disk and the studsthen press on the smooth surface of the signal plate. When the latterhas about reached its raised or signaling position the other set ofdepressions come to register with-the studs 31 and the latter then snapinto these latter depressions making a slight sound or click which willindicate that the signal has reached its. final osition. This snapaction informs the operator when the signal plate has reached itsextreme upper position and also when it has been lowered into the casingand in addition, the studs 31 engaging in the de ressions 33 more firmlyhold the signal p ates in one or the other of their extreme positions.

It requires a greater force to move one of casing, swinging signalmembers adapted to be projected from and to be retracted in said casing,operating rods in said casing connected with the respective signalmembers and extending laterally therefrom relatively difierent distancesand thence downwardly said signaLmembers while in retracted posiandadapted to be operated from without the tion to prevent rattling andincluding a casing to swing the signal members. coiled spring disposedwhereby the signal 1 2. In a signal device for automobiles a memberswill enter between and be held in 5 casing, signal members pivoted toswing spaced relation by the coils of said spring. whereby they may beprojected from or re- Signed this 22nd dayscg June, 1917.

t-racted in said casing and means for holding MUEL COHN.

